


Some Who or Other

by baniszew



Category: How the Grinch Stole Christmas! - Dr. Seuss
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-17
Updated: 2016-12-17
Packaged: 2018-09-02 18:05:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8677546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baniszew/pseuds/baniszew
Summary: Rereading the Grinch as an adult, it seems hard to believe that the Whos really would greet the day with singing, and that they'd forgive the Grinch and let him carve the roast beast.  This story is about how happy endings really are possible.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wyomingnot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wyomingnot/gifts).



Every Who down in Who-ville  
Liked Christmas a lot  
But to Ma-Who it was clear  
That someone did not.

She woke before dawn  
To prep some last treats,  
While the little ones yawned  
And snored in their sheets.

In the dark of the night  
Without so much as a candle,  
She crept to the kitchen  
And tugged the fridge handle.

And what to her stricken  
Eyes did appear?  
A thin coat of frost  
On shelves all stripped clear.

She peeked in the parlor  
In the shadowy dim,  
And saw that things there  
Were equally grim.

She sat on the floor,  
And she quietly sobbed  
For the sake of her children  
Whose toys had been robbed.

Then after some minutes,  
With a good cry completed,  
She gathered her gumption,  
Resolve undefeated.

Plan A, of course,  
Was solving the crime,  
If it was possible  
In such little time.

How had thieves come,  
When the door was still barred?  
She wondered, and pondered,  
And crept out to the yard.

All the lawns had sleigh tracks,  
All the roofs had foot-prints.  
All the town had been robbed,  
It was clear from these hints.

It was a small comfort,  
That more folks shared her plight.  
It was also quite clear  
There was no robber in sight.

With dawn coming fast,  
There was no time to waste.  
So she turned to Plan B  
And ran down the block, posthaste.

The tracks confirmed it,  
Sad but true,  
The robbers went also  
To Auntie and Uncle Who.

Ma-Who knocked at their door,  
Hoping they were up.  
Auntie answered, eyes downcast  
Into her coffee cup.

“You too?” Auntie asked,  
As Ma slipped through the door.  
“Us, too,” Ma-Who said.  
Auntie quietly swore.

“What’s more,” said Ma-Who,  
“The thieves don’t discriminate.  
“The Al-Who’s and Who-steins  
“Had thief tracks at their gates.”

“So what shall we do?”  
Asked Uncle Who.  
“We must show all the children  
How to pull through.”

“We’ll get on with the day,  
“We’ll keep on living.  
“We’ll show that the feast and the presents  
“Are about helping and giving.”

“It will be hard to explain,  
“It will be hard to cope,  
“But the first step to fixing things,  
“Is Don’t give up hope.”

“We’ll get the kids all together,  
“Both yours and mine,  
“We’ll get all the neighbors,  
“In the first sunshine.”

“We’ll all pull together,  
“We’ll fight back the dark.  
“Then we’ll solve the crime.  
Meet at seven, in the park.”

And with that, Ma-Who  
Flew down the street,  
Passing the message  
To each glum face she’d meet.

When her children awoke,  
Cindy-Lou and the rest,  
Ma-Who’s resolve  
Was put to the test.

Some yelled in anger,  
Some of them cried,  
Cindy-Lou asked  
If _he_ ’d fixed the bulb’s side.

“If who did, my dear?”  
Asked the astute Ma-Who.  
“Sandy-Claws, the green man,  
“He took our stockings, too.”

“Was he tall?” asked Ma-Who,  
“And a little bit furry?”  
“I think so, umm, yes.  
“He left in a hurry.”

Ma who stooped and patted  
Her child on the head.  
Then, to them all,  
She turned and she said,

“That Grinchy-Claus, he’ll be back,  
“There’s no need to worry.  
“Now let’s head to the park,  
Get you coats and scurry.”

The park was packed full,  
But all the faces were sad.  
Could she make them believe  
There was still joy to be had?

“My dear friends and neighbors,”  
Ma-Who called to the throng,  
“I know things seem grim,  
“But please join me in song.

“Our trees may be missing,  
“Our ice boxes bare,  
“But we still have the power  
To help and to share.

“After our songs,  
“We’ll head to the store,  
“Let’s pitch in together,  
“Make pancakes galore.

“And once we’re all fed,  
“We’ll all seize the day,  
“Some will go searching,  
“Others will stay.

“We’ll find the lost presents,  
“Each chosen with care,  
“A huge load to unpack,  
“So some will prepare.

“Once each light is found,  
“Each poor swindled tree,  
“We’ll all help restore them  
“To each place they should be.”

And with her piece said,  
Ma-Who picked some teams:  
One to follow sleigh-tracks  
O’er hills and ‘cross streams;

One for the cooking  
Of Who-cakes galore;  
One for logistics  
Of unpacking and more.

And so, all together,  
With a plan at the ready,  
The Whos raised their voices  
All warm and steady.

They sang for the morning  
And the lengthening day;  
They sang for the knowledge  
That not all problems stay;

They sang to inspire,  
To bring cheer to their fellows,  
And so cheer grew inside them  
And poured forth in great bellows.

After the songs,  
Auntie Who took the kids  
To help make Who-cakes  
And watch Christmas vids.

Ma-Who grabbed the search team;  
She gritted her teeth,  
And prepared to bring justice  
To the grinchy wreath thief.

The team started tracking,  
But they only went a short way,  
For soon, heading right toward them,  
They spotted a sleigh.

The Grinch and his dog,  
Sped toward the town.  
They stopped as Ma-Who’s team  
Each gave a glare and a frown.

“I’ve changed!” the Grinch cried.  
“I see now, I see!  
“So I’ve come to give back  
“Each present and tree!”

“That’s not quite enough!”  
Said one Who with a cry,  
“We can’t just forgive this.  
“At least tell us _why_.”

They all stood in silence  
For a very long while.  
Then the Grinch cleared his throat,  
And he gave a sad smile.

“The whole Christmas season,  
“I came to abhor,  
“Perhaps because I was raised  
“On the thirty-eight floor

“Of a crowded old high-rise  
“With no sound insulation.  
“And so all the long nights  
“Of each winter vacation

“As the whole grinchy clan  
“Congregated in town,  
“And all the neighbors had visitors,  
“Upstairs and down,

“There was so much noise,  
“It seemed that all of Who-tropolis  
“Was screaming and yelling,  
“Right there on top of us.

“Then the fighting would start,  
“And the green-eyed grinch envy,  
“Every one passing judgement  
“On their kin in assembly.

“So even the good parts,  
“The joy of the toys,  
“Got twisted up in the bad parts,  
All noise, noise, noise, noise!

“The whole Christmas dinner  
“Was a long slog of scorn,  
“And each year I’d get ill,  
“Up-chucking my hash and my corn.

“I swore to myself,  
“That without a doubt  
“That once I grew up,  
“I’d run far and get out.

“And so I did, I left,  
“To a quiet little hill,  
“In the blessed stillness  
“To the north of Who-ville.

“But there’s no escaping Christmas;  
“It has hype that never stops.  
“It floods all the radio,  
“The streetlights, and the shops.

“Some call it a time  
“To share and be kinder.  
“But for some it is nothing  
“But a gaudy reminder

“That people who talk big,  
“Who profess their kind spirit,  
“Aren’t all kind with their actions,  
“They just want others to hear it.

“But you Whos,” said the Grinch,  
“Have given me pause.  
“You sang with no fighting or sobbing,  
“Although you had cause.

“Ideas I thought were tired, old,  
“False Christmas platitudes  
“They’re sometimes for real,  
“You’ve shown with your attitudes.

“And so I’m sorry — I am —  
“For my theft in the night.  
“I’ve come back with your things  
“To start to set my wrongs right”

The gathered Whos knit their brows  
And turned to one another.  
Ma-Who had a quiet whispered  
Exchange with her brother.

“Come to my house,” she said then,  
“And we’ll start things off right.  
“Once your sleigh is unpacked,  
“Each tree and each light,

“We’ll show you how our clan  
“Keeps Christmas Day merry.  
“You’ll see that a big meal  
doesn’t have to be scary.

“And one more thing,” Said Ma-Who,  
Adding on quick,  
“We cooking the stuffing _outside_ the roast beast now,  
“So many fewer people get sick.”

The Grinch smiled at her,  
With hope, yet with fear.  
Seeing this, Mr. Al-Who  
Also drew-near.

“If you’re not quite prepared  
“For a whole big loud feast,  
“You could have non-Christmas with us.  
“We don’t mind in the least.

“It’s a casual time,  
“Just us and the Who-steins.  
“We eat General Who’s chicken,  
“And watch films made with blue screens.

“Well, green screens I guess,  
“Now that film tech has grown.  
“It’s all good mindless fun,  
“Whatever is shown.”

The Grinch thanked him kindly  
But said he couldn’t decide  
Until each stolen parcel  
Was rehoused safely inside.

So the Grinch and the Whos  
And loyal old Max  
Made their way back to town,  
Retracing their tracks.

No Christmas is perfect;  
Each one has its flaws.  
But each one has beauty,  
If we reflect and give pause.

The darkness is fleeting.  
It may come every year,  
But it always turns back  
And is replaced with cheer,

Not just in the sky,  
But in the light of our hearts.  
Christmas is grace and compassion,  
With or without  
Those things from our shopping carts.


End file.
